Friday, October 31, 2008

O Holy Spirit, Spirit of wisdom and divine love, impart Your knowledge, understanding, and counsel to the faithful that they may know the vocation wherein they can best serve God.

Give them courage and strength to follow God's holy will.

Guide their uncertain steps, strengthen their resolutions, shield their chastity, fashion their minds, conquer their hearts, and lead them to the vineyards where they will labour in God's holy service.

...Pius XII and his Bible Revolution, Irish president graduates in Church law, De La Salle accused jury discharged, Reformed Catholic Church news update, Paris financial district church is busy, Portugal NO to same sex marriage, Iraqi AB says RC facing liquidation...

...online prayer in times of need, clericalism -v-religion, remembering John XXIII, Rev'd now new Fr Ted, common school enrollment policy in Diocese of Killaloe, 'sinful' voting for women clergy says Anglican bishop, ease restrictions on religious ads in Ireland called for...

...complete works of Il Papa to be printed, Irish clerical rumblings, update of story on parish in Bray, Czech church restitution in dispute, Vatican challenged in relation to Rwanda genocide, new Nuncio secretary arrives in Australia, gay saints remembered...

...recession good for us all, CofE reports rise in donations and ordinations, John XXIII remembered, poverty crisis in South Africa forewarned, final Synod report, no sex-ed classes for Irish scouts, Serbian Patriarch resigns, priest speaks out over Mafia...

Eternal light shine upon them, and may their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed rest in peace. Amen.

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, pray for us (x3)

Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us (x3)

Prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel:

Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host -by the Divine Power of God -cast into Hell, Satan and all the Evil Spirits,who roam throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen

My dear friends, we are now approaching the end of another month of postings which are headlined as per usual and what a busy month it has been.

We now turn our thoughts and prayers from the Rosary to those who are deceased and need our prayers and so in the month of November each days posting shall alongside the Vocations prayer place the prayers for the deceased.

As I am away for a few days initially in November, the usual amount of postings will not be posted until my return, but there will be some for All Saints and All Souls days which I hope you find helpful.

We are also heading for our half millionth visitor and in recognition of this, a special celebration shall be held in Dublin on next Wednesday evening at 7pm and I shall be unmasking myself to all.

If interested, please do send me a message via the comments box and I will respond.

This may be a popular event so once the quota has been reached then all further requests shall be refused.

May I take this opportunity to thank each and all of for continuing to contribute to CW and that it is sincerely appreciated and ask you to feel free to continue to do so.

A Jewish leader says Pope Benedict XVI is considering a request to freeze the sainthood process for wartime Pope Pius XII, who critics say did not speak out enough during World War II to save Jews amid Hitler's extermination campaign.

Rabbi Ravid Rosen says the pope was asked to do so during a meeting Thursday with a Jewish group and the pontiff replied he would give "serious consideration" to the request to wait.

Rosen spoke after the Vatican rejected Jewish groups' requests to immediately open its secret archives on Pius XII's papacy during the Holocaust years.

Vatican spokesman Rev. Federico Lombardi said the requests to see the wartime archives were "understandable," but added Thursday that it would take another six or seven years to catalog those 16 million documents.

Currently, the archives can be consulted only up through the papacy of Pius XII's predecessor, Pius XI, which ended in early 1939, a few months before World War II began in Europe.

Pius XII was Pius XI's secretary of state, as Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli. Some scholars who have examined archive documents dealing with the future Pius XII's diplomacy say Pacelli was an indecisive diplomat as Nazism and Fascism took hold in parts of Western Europe.

The Vatican says Benedict has been reflecting on documentation gathered by Church officials about Pius XII's virtues as part of the process toward possible beatification, the last formal step before possible sainthood. Benedict, marking the 50th anniversary recently of Pius' death, has described him as a great pope who spared no effort to try to save Jews.

Earlier this month, Israeli president Shimon Peres urged the Vatican not to let a contentious reference to Pius XII stop Benedict from visiting the Holy Land sometime. A caption accompanying a photograph at Jerusalem's Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial alleges the wartime pope did not act to save Jews from the Nazi genocide.

Benedict met Thursday with Rosen and others from the International Jewish Committee on Interreligious Consultations. The pontiff called for "sincere dialogue" and called Church condemnation of all forms of anti-Semitism a "significant milestone."

Rosen said Jews were "profoundly grateful for all that the Holy See has said and done in recent times" to combat anti-Semitism and he expressed thanks for Christians who "saved many Jews" during the Holocaust.

"We reiterate our respectful call for full and transparent access of scholars to all archival material from that period, so that assessments regarding actions and policies during this tragic period may have the credibility they deserve," Rosen said.

The late Pope John Paul II made an official visit to Israel in 2000. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++Disclaimer

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The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.

Rodrigues-Lytwyn's suit also names the Diocese of Brooklyn, which includes Queens, and Our Lady of the Snows Church as defendants in the legal action, charging negligence for failing to properly supervise Elano.

A spokesman for the diocese did not return a request for comment.

Elano, who had served for two years as parochial vicar at Our Lady of the Snows, was transferred two months ago to an upstate parish. He could not be reached last night.

Rodrigues-Lytwyn charges that Elano began "courting" her, "encouraging her to engage in a sexual liaison with him to assist her in overcoming her pain associated with her husband and because it was 'ordained by God.'"

She said she become "overwhelmed" by the priest's advances "and soon thereafter succumbed to them."

The suit includes photos Rodrigues-Lytwyn snapped of Elano, including one of him shirtless and kneeling next to her bed and another of him holding a red rose with his teeth. A third picture shows the two of them together during a romantic stroll on a beach in Montauk, L.I.

"Exhibit A" in the suit is a July receipt Elano received from a Salt Lake City pharmacy for an $89 prescription for Viagra.

"In preparation for these sexual liaisons, Elano ordered Viagra over the Internet in order to enhance their sexual encounters," the suit charges.

Rodrigues-Lytwyn also included an alleged Oct. 6 e-mail she got from Elano, in which he described a rash on his groin and legs she claims he got from having sex with other women.

Parishioners were stunned by the news.

"This is the first I heard about it and trust me, the choir hears everything," said a church choir member, describing Elano as "gregarious."+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++Disclaimer

No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.

The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.

Two Jesuit priests found slain in their central Moscow apartment might have been killed a day or two apart, a senior Catholic official said Thursday.

Otto Messmer, 47, a Russian citizen and top Jesuit in Russia, and Victor Betancourt, a 42-year-old Ecuadorian citizen, were found dead with battered skulls in an apartment on Ulitsa Petrovka on Tuesday evening.

Father Igor Kovalevsky, the general secretary of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of Russia, said Betancourt was killed "earlier," but it was unclear if it was a matter of hours or days.

He said he last spoke to Betancourt on Friday evening. The priest was planning to hear confessions on Sunday at St. Louis Catholic Church on Malaya Lubyanka but didn't turn up.

The other priest, Messmer, was killed after he returned from a trip to Germany on Monday evening, Kovalevsky said.

The Investigative Committee released a statement on Wednesday saying that the deaths had probably occurred 24 hours before the bodies were found. A spokeswoman said Thursday that she could not make any further comment while the investigation continued.

Both priests came to St. Louis Church every Sunday to hear confessions, Father Eduard Shatov, a priest at the church, said Thursday.

"For all of us, it's a really tragic event," he said. "We are shocked, and we don't know what is happening because the police are making their inquiry."

Shatov said he had visited the apartment on Ulitsa Petrovka. Another priest who lives there is traveling in Belgium, he said.

The bodies were found by members of the order and accountant Pavel Subbotin, Kovalevsky said.

Subbotin earlier telephoned the apartment several times asking for Messmer, and an unknown man's voice said he was sleeping, Kommersant reported Thursday, quoting a police source.

Interfax reported that witnesses saw a short man, age 40 to 45 with Latin American features and wearing a blood-stained white shirt near the apartment. The Rusbalt.ru web site quoted an anonymous police source as saying investigators are looking for a Cuban man who studies at the People's Friendship University.

Several newspapers have speculated that the crime might have had a sexual motive. Kommersant quoted a police source as saying two used condoms were found at the scene.

Kovalevsky said he had no comment about reports in the "yellow press." "We only trust the work of the investigators. It's up to everyone's conscience whether or not they believe the reports," he said.

The Investigative Committee statement said a "domestic incident" might have led to the deaths, saying there were "traces of a party" in the apartment. Gazeta.ru reported that open wine and absinthe bottles were found in the kitchen.

Kommersant said police confiscated several possible murder weapons, including a large souvenir mug.

Mourners packed the Immaculate Conception Cathedral on Malaya Gruzinskaya for a requiem mass for the priests Wednesday evening, Shatov said. The Archbishop of Paris, who is in Moscow to visit Russian Orthodox Patriarch Alexy II, attended the service, together with about 40 priests.

The Jesuits' top priest, Adolfo Nicolas, issued a statement calling for Jesuits to pray for the slain men.

A funeral date for the two priests has not yet been set, Kovalevsky said. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++Disclaimer

No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.

The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.

A coalition of groups that offer support for victims of sexual abuse by priests yesterday called on Bishop Robert J. McManus to use the chancery’s resources to warn the public about the possible jail release of the Rev. Thomas H. Teczar, a Roman Catholic priest formerly of Worcester who was found guilty last year of sexually assaulting an 11-year-old boy from Ranger, Texas, in 1990.

Earlier this month, a Texas appeals court found that the judge who handled Rev. Teczar’s court proceedings had committed errors and the panel ordered a new trial.

Eastland (Texas) Criminal District Attorney Russ Thomason has said that he will retry the case, but there’s concern among the support groups that the priest will be released, pending a new trial.

Representatives of the groups — at a press conference held outside the chancery complex on Elm Street — also renewed their long-standing request that church officials identify all diocesan priests accused of sexual improprieties and provide the addresses where the clerics live.

A list with the names of the accused, along with relevant documents, was turned over to the local district attorney’s office years ago but has never been made public.

The advocates made their pleas amid posters that bore the photos and first names of children who were allegedly abused, including Jim, Helen, Elizabeth, Susan and several others.

“The problem is that we don’t know who all these predators are and where they live,” said Anne Barrett Doyle, co-director of BishopAccountability.org, which documents cases of abuse on its Web site.

She said Rev. Teczar is “wily” and “resourceful,” and would pose a threat to children if he returns to Massachusetts.

At least three men have charged that they were abused as youngsters by Rev. Teczar when he served in Worcester-area churches.

The groups want Bishop McManus to use the diocesan Web site, newspaper, parish bulletins and pulpit announcements to warn about Rev. Teczar’s possible release and to urge individuals who might know of any crimes committed by the priest to contact Texas authorities so they can provide a more effective second prosecution.

If the priest is released and returns to the Worcester area, the advocates urged Bishop McManus to keep the cleric under constant watch.

Raymond L. Delisle, a diocesan spokesman, said he would let the bishop know of the groups’ requests, and added that the chancery has asked the Vatican to defrock Rev. Teczar.

He said it would be impossible, however, for diocesan authorities to keep tabs on the priest. Although Rev. Teczar is “incardinated,” or formally attached to the diocese, he no longer receives financial assistance from the church and could go about as he pleases, Mr. Delisle explained.

Rev. Teczar began ministering in parishes run by the Fort Worth (Texas) Diocese after Worcester Bishop Timothy J. Harrington barred him in the mid-1980s from clerical duties after allegations surfaced that he had molested Central Massachusetts-area boys.

Rev. Teczar was found guilty by Texas District Judge Steven Heron of three counts of aggravated assault of a child and one count of indecency with a child. The youngster had lived across the street from St. Rita’s Church, where Rev. Teczar was assigned.

The priest, who has been accused of abusing other Texas children, received a 25-year sentence.

Paul Kellen, executive secretary of People of Conscience United for the Protection of Children, said bishops must follow the mandate set by Pope Benedict XVI during his visit to the United States earlier this year that prelates must “do everything possible” to comfort and aid the victims of clerical sexual abuse.

“Predators are the most charming and charismatic men and so their unmasking is often understandably greeted by disbelief in the community,” Mr. Kellen said. “How this must burden the abused, who are often told by their abuser that they will not be believed.”

Ms. Barrett Doyle also urged Bishop McManus to be more generous when settling civil court suits with victims.

In Massachusetts, victims can’t ask for more than $20,000 in award damages because churches are nonprofit. However, church officials may offer more.

Ms. Barrett Doyle said other dioceses, including the Boston Archdiocese, have provided much larger settlements, unlike the Worcester church, which, she said, has never settled for more than the cap.+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++Disclaimer

No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.

The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.

Openly gay Anglican Bishop Gene Robinson got a bit sneaky with some Catholic priests a few years back:

Robinson said he led a confidential retreat a few years ago for gay Roman Catholic priests.

Robinson, the first openly gay bishop in the Episcopal Church and world Anglican Communion, said the Catholic priest group that organized the meeting had invited him to attend.

About 75 Catholic clergy from around the U.S. participated without notifying their bishops or provincial leaders, Robinson said.

Robinson wouldn't disclose details of this mens' weekend, but did reveal that he urged them to fight for women's rights within the priesthood: "I believe that if you work for the ordination of women in your church, you will go a long way toward opening the door for the acceptance of gay priests."+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Disclaimer

No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.

The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.

Muslim scholars make a rare visit to the Vatican next week to discuss with Pope Benedict and Roman Catholic experts how to overcome mutual suspicion and ignorance between Christianity and Islam.

Twenty-four signatories of A Common Word, a Muslim call to dialogue with Christianity issued last year, will assemble in Rome from around the Islamic world for the November 4-6 talks, the first annual meeting of a new Catholic-Muslim Forum.

The meeting, following talks with U.S. Protestants in July and Anglicans earlier this month, will take place one week before Saudi King Abdullah visits the United Nations to promote a parallel interfaith dialogue he launched last summer.

These meetings reflect a new urgency Muslim leaders have felt in recent years after the September 11 attacks, the "clash of civilisations" theory and Pope Benedict's Regensburg speech showed a widening gap between the world's two largest faiths.

Common Word signatories say their meetings have forged new bonds with Christians, including U.S. evangelicals wary about Islam, and helped both sides shed stereotypes to see shared teaching about the need to love God and neighbour.

"We go to Rome with an open heart and good spirit and hope to achieve more and more in the months to come," said Libyan theologian Aref Ali Nayed, senior adviser to the Cambridge Interfaith Programme.

With 1.1 billion followers, Roman Catholicism is by far the largest church among the world's 2 billion Christians. Islam has 1.3 billion faithful but no central authority like the Vatican to speak for itself or its main schools of thought.

CAUTIOUS CATHOLICS

Using the Islamic principle of seeking consensus, the Common Word manifesto has assembled 271 religious leaders and scholars from Sunni, Shi'ite, Sufi and other traditions in the Middle East, Asia, Africa, Europe and North America.

Its Rome delegation includes an Iranian ayatollah, Bosnia's grand mufti, a Jordanian prince, academics from across the Muslim world and U.S., Canadian and British converts to Islam.

In contrast to some churches that promptly welcomed A Common Word, the Vatican has been cautious in responding to its call for a theological dialogue aimed at showing common beliefs.

Pope Benedict and Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, the Vatican's top official for interfaith dialogue, want to discuss religious freedom, a sensitive issue because some Muslim countries forbid conversion and oppress their Christian minorities.

Catholic bishops from around the world backed that message at a synod in Rome this month, adding any dialogue must stress rights for both men and women -- a challenge to strict Islamic states like Saudi Arabia that limit women's rights.

The Common Word meetings focus on understanding how each faith believes what it does. One way to do this is to read Koran and Bible passages together and explain them to each other.

Rev. Christian Troll, a German Jesuit expert on Islam who will be in the Vatican delegation, described the approach as a kind of interfaith Golden Rule: "Try to understand the other's faith as you would like your faith to be understood."

The Rome meeting will spend two days discussing theology and human dignity in private before a public session the final day.

As Common Word meetings have progressed, participants have stressed the need for practical results. Among their ideas are exchange programs to educate preachers about each other's faith so they avoid spreading false views about them.

They have also invited rabbis to join some discussions, especially about reading scriptures, even though the Common Word manifesto did not initially address Jews.+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++Disclaimer

No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.

The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.

Corinne Diserens, the Swiss director of the museum in Bolzano, in the mountainous north-east of Italy, was dismissed after months of controversy over the bright green, bug-eyed amphibian, which is nailed to a cross and holds a frothing mug of beer and an egg.

She had refused to remove the work by the late German artist Martin Kippenberger despite protests from the Vatican that it was blasphemous.

She said the museum had a right to artistic freedom, and kept the frog on display as originally planned from May to September.

But a majority of the museum's board of directors disagreed and instead dismissed her this week.

The official reason given by the museum was that Ms Diserens had caused a "difficult financial situation" by overspending her budget, but supporters said she was being punished for the row over the frog.

Her sacking prompted a debate on contemporary art in the German-speaking region of Alto-Adige, where a far-right party with anti-immigration views tripled its support in local elections this week, becoming the province's second most powerful political force.

"The relationship between art and politics is never an easy one, but to be sacked because of one work of art is really incredible," said the head of a gallery in nearby Trento, Fabio Cavallucci.

Pope Benedict XVI condemned the four-foot-high frog, entitled Zuerst die Fuesse (Feet First), when he heard about it during his summer holiday in the nearby town of Bressanone.

He said it "injured the religious feeling of many people who see in the cross the symbol of the love of God and of our salvation which deserves recognition and religious devotion".

The Vatican wrote a letter of support in the pope's name to Franz Pahl, president of the regional government, who was so outraged by the sculpture that he went on a hunger strike to demand its removal and had to be taken to hospital during the summer.

"Surely this is not a work of art but a blasphemy and a disgusting piece of trash that upsets many people," he said at the time. "This decision to keep the statue there is totally unacceptable. It is a grave offence to our Catholic population," he said.

Ms Diserens had accused local politicians in the staunchly Catholic region of trying to exploit the issue ahead of the provincial elections.

Museum curators maintained that Kippenberger's frog, with its tongue out and wearing a loincloth, was a self-portrait of the artist "in a state of profound crisis" and was not an attack on the Church.

Kippenberger died in 1997 but his works have been shown at the Tate Modern and the Saatchi Gallery in London and at the Venice Biennale, and retrospectives are planned in Los Angeles and New York.+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++Disclaimer

No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.

The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.

The Vatican today said it would be ''at least six or seven years" before papers in the secret archives relating to Pope Pius XII, Nazism and the Second World War could be opened to scholars.

Last week, a group of Catholic and Jewish scholars wrote to The Times to express "deep concern" over Vatican plans to beatify Pius XII, the step before sainthood.

They said the wartime pontiff had "condemned the effects of war on innocent victims but did not single out the persecution of Jews, either during or after the Holocaust".

The scholars called for archives relating to Pius XII's wartime record to be opened "with deliberate speed" since "more extensive study is required".

In an audience with Pope Benedict XVI today, Rabbi David Rosen of the International Jewish Committee for Interreligious Consultations also called for the archives to be opened.

Father Federico Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman, said the request was "understandable and justifiable", but it was ''unrealistic'' to think that the archives could be opened soon. He said that the archive involved "about 16 million papers".

The Vatican was working on the archives for 1939-1945, but ''specialised staff is limited,'' Father Lombardi said.

He quoted the head of the Vatican Secret Archive, Monsignor Sergio Pagano, as stating that with the present workforce, the estimated timeframe for making the papers available for study was " at least 6-7 years".

Pope Benedict, who has said he hopes to visit Israel, praised Pius XII on the 50th anniversary of his death this month and backed his beatification, but without setting a date.+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++Disclaimer

No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.

The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.

Anne Leahy, Canada’s new ambassador to the Holy See, was received by Pope Benedict XVI on Thursday morning at an audience where she presented her credentials.

Speaking to the new diplomat, the Pope recalled that Catholicism is the “cornerstone” of Canadian society and encouraged Canadians to rediscover the meaning of individual freedom.

Pope Benedict began his words to Ms. Leahy by quoting John Paul II from his visit to Canada in 2002.

Canadians, said the late Pope, are "heirs to an extraordinarily rich humanism, enriched even more by the blend of many different cultural elements. But the core of your heritage is the spiritual and transcendent vision of life based on Christian revelation which gave vital impetus to your development as a free, democratic, and caring society, recognized throughout the world as a champion of human rights and human dignity."

Soon, Canada and the Vatican will celebrate 40 years of diplomatic relations, which the Holy Father characterized as years of encouraging multilateral collaboration to help solve the “many problems that present a challenge for humanity in this age."

Two shared initiatives that Benedict XVI singled out for praise were the work to promote the treaty prohibiting anti-personnel land mines throughout the world and the effort to contribute to the “stability, peace, and development in the Great Lakes region of Africa."

The “cornerstone” of the building of Canadian society is Catholicism, the Pope said quoting Ambassador Leahy’s own words.

“Nevertheless,” the Holy Father warned, “profound changes can be noticed today, which are seen in different sectors and at times cause concern to the point of asking ourselves if it does not mean a regression in the understanding of the human being.”

The main areas in which these changes can be seen are the “defense and the promotion of life and the family based on natural marriage,” Pope Benedict said.

For a culture of life to “nourish anew the personal and social existence of Canada,” the Holy Father said that, he believes “it is necessary to redefine the meaning of the exercise of liberty.”

The root of the problem, according to Benedict XVI, is that freedom “is perceived more and more as an absolute value, an intangible right of the individual” without any regard for the fact that God is the one who gives us freedom or thought for the communal impact of individuals’ choices.

“In this interpretation, only the individual can decide and choose the form, characteristics, and ends of life, death, and marriage,” the Pope said.

"True freedom," he observed, "is ultimately based on and develops in God. It is a gift that can be accepted as the seed from which the person and society can grow responsibly and be enriched. The exercise of this freedom implies reference to a natural moral law that is universal, which precedes and unifies all rights and duties. In this perspective, I would like to show my support to all the Canadian Bishops' initiatives in favor of family life and thus of the dignity of the human being.”+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++Disclaimer

No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.

The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.

The University of Navarra, a Catholic school in Pamplona, Spain was bombed by the Basque separatist group ETA on Thursday morning. Initial estimates indicate that 21 people have been injured.

At around 11:00 a.m. a car-bomb exploded at a parking lot located between the main building and the Library of Humanities, injuring 21 people and destroying 20 vehicles.

"There were other small explosions after the fire set off by the fuel tanks in the parked cars nearby," Bernardino Leon, a University of Navarra professor, told the Antena 3 TV channel.

The bombing against Opus Dei-run University received immediate condemnation from the archbishop of Valencia, Cardinal Agustin García-Gasco, who called it "an act of abject inhumanity." "I express my deepest solidarity to this great community of students and my utmost repudiation of the terrorists' logic," he said on Thursday.

"This shows another expression of ETA's barbarism and culture of death," Cardinal García-Gasco said in a statement released to also express solidarity with the University's Supreme Chancellor and Opus Dei Prelate, Bishop Javier Echeverría.

"By attacking the University of Navarre, terrorists show where they stand: at the opposite of any human good," the cardinal concluded.

Ángel Gómez-Montoro, the rector of the University, reacted to the attack by saying, "we have decided to go back to normality as soon as possible," and "we will do it without fear or anger."

"This is the time to remember the importance of forgiveness, and we want to call the terrorists to stop making so many people suffer," he stressed.

University students and professors will hold a silent march of protest against violence at noon on October 31.+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++Disclaimer

No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.

The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.

Attempts by the Australian House of Representatives Speaker to get rid of the daily recital of the Lord’s Prayer in Australia’s federal parliament have met with united opposition from both the government and opposition parties.

Harry Jenkins questioned if the prayer was relevant to the 21st century, according to The Herald-Sun, calling it "controversial", and suggesting that it be rewritten. The Lord's Prayer has been in the standing orders since 1901, the year the British colonies of Australia came together as a federation.

However a spokeswoman for the Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said he viewed it as an important tradition that should not be broken. "The Lord's Prayer is a long-standing tradition of the Australian parliament and the Prime Minister believes it should continue,'' she said.

Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull and Nationals leader Warren Truss issued a joint statement, saying the removal of the prayer would be unacceptable.

"The Lord's Prayer has a very important place in the conduct of the parliamentary programme, and ahead of the day's debate and deliberations it provides a non-partisan reaffirmation of our commitment to the common good for the people of Australia,'' Mr Turnbull and Mr Truss said.

Immigration Minister Chris Evans, quoted in TheDaily Telegraph, said on Sunday the indigenous owners of the land were acknowledged at the opening of parliament for the year and would be recognised at other official occasions at Parliament House.

He expressed doubt that Jenkin's objection to the prayer would gain any ground.

"We had this debate in the Senate a few years ago when there was talk about having a moment's reflection rather than the Lord's Prayer, but the strong view among senators was that the Lord's Prayer ought to remain. I wouldn't expect any change," he told ABC Television.

More than 65 per cent of Australians still identify as Christians, and there are no Muslims or Aborigines among Australia's 226 MPs.+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++Disclaimer

No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.

The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.

Relations between the Roman Catholic and the Russian Orthodox Churches have been rocky for centuries. But amid these difficulties a top Catholic official is visiting Moscow for the first time.

The head of the French Catholics was invited by Russia's Patriarch Alexy II.

Jean-Francois Thiry swapped his native Belgium for Russia more than 15 years ago. A Catholic himself, he heads a cultural centre in Moscow promoting unity among all Christians. It’s a place where Catholic and Orthodox books stand side by side on the bookshelves.

“I think it’s a very big scandal that the church is still divided. Lots of people are not coming to the church because they say: how can I come to a church that is divided? Where is the truth?” wonders Jean-Francois Thiry, Director of “Library Of The Spirit” Cultural Centre.

Eastern Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism broke ties in 1054 and have remained separate ever since. For centuries, relations between the Vatican and the Russian Orthodox Church were frosty. But they’re warming up again. For the first time, the head of the French Catholics has come to Russia, invited by Patriarch Alexy II.“We face many common challenges and our churches have to address them together,” Alexy II, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, said.

The Archbishop of Paris, Cardinal Andre Vingt-Trois, and the Russian Patriarch have met before. A year ago Alexy II’s first ever trip to France was heralded as historic. But he has refused all invitations from Rome, with the Russian Orthodox Church opposing a visit by the Pope.

Still, the Cardinal spoke of boosting ties.

“Last year we started a link between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church in France. We want to develop this link and make it fruitful,” the Archbishop said.

However, strains remain. The Russian Orthodox Church has accused the Vatican of seeking to poach converts in Russia and some post-Soviet states, like Ukraine, that it regards as historically Orthodox.

The Catholic Church says it simply supports existing Catholic communities.

But Vladimir Legoyda, the editor of an Orthodox magazine, believes the two churches have no option but to leave their disputes in the past.

“It will be an attempt to answer the challenge of secularism, of society that’s trying to live without God,” Vladimir Legoyda says, Editor-In-Chief of Foma Magazine.

Legoyda says the dialogue won’t be easy but the future may well see an eventual meeting between the Pope and the Patriarch.+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++Disclaimer

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The elegant Spanish Queen Sofia is known for many things - her lacy mantillas at royal weddings, her compassionate embraces, her grandmotherly photo-ops, and above all, her discretion.

But now, as she approaches her 70th birthday after three decades on the throne alongside the popular King Juan Carlos, Sofia has revealed her thoughts on everything from gay marriage to teaching religion in schools to Hillary Clinton.

Leaks from a new biography, The Queen Up Close, appeared in El Pais yesterday and are already causing controversy, especially among gay rights groups, who seemed to like her better with her lips closed.

"I can understand, accept and respect that there are people of other sexual tendencies, but should they be proud to be gay? Should they ride on a parade float and come out in protests? If all of those of us who aren't gay came out to protest we would halt traffic," she said in the book, written by Spanish journalist Pilar Urbano.

The discreet queen proceeded to even more sensitive ground, referring to Spain's recent law to legalize gay marriage, which provoked the fury of the Catholic Church hierarchy. "If those people want to live together, dress up like bride and groom and marry, they could have a right to do so, or not, depending on the law of their country, but they should not call this matrimony, because it isn't," she is quoted as saying. "There are many possible names: social contract, social union".

The State Federation of Lesbians, Gays and Transsexuals immediately asked the Queen to retract her comments.

"Many mothers of gays and lesbians are going to ask why the Queen understands that the Prince would marry a divorced woman, but she can't understand why other mothers wouldn't want that same happiness of marriage for their children," said the federation president Antonio Poveda.

Prince Felipe married divorced journalist Letizia Ortiz in 2004 with the crown's blessing.

Returned to the throne by Franco, the Spanish monarchy has had to earn the affection of the Spanish people, and support is generally strong in gratitude for King Juan Carlos's role in the transition to democracy.

The favourable opinion stems in part from the pact of neutrality by which the monarchs do not take sides on matters of national politics – allowing all factions to believe royalty on their side.

The row over gay rights overshadowed the Queen's comments on other thorny matters, such as the teaching of religion in the schools, which she considers necessary "at least to a certain age."

"Children need an explanation of the origin of world and of life," she said. She similarly followed the lines of the Catholic Church on abortion, which is legal in Spain.

Fans of political gossip, meanwhile, are enjoying her take on the former Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar, who was said to have a strained relationship with the monarchs. "He wasn't unpleasant with us," she is quoted as saying. "Perhaps something about his demeanour, his serious expression, didn't help him?"

By contrast, she bonded with Hillary Clinton: "They make her out to be an ambitious woman who uses her husband's influence to her own benefit. The poor thing must have suffered a great deal."

Lately some regional nationalists, especially in Catalonia, have been increasingly vocal in their anti-monarchical sentiment, with some youth activists burning photos of the king and queen, once unthinkable.

"Does it hurt your feelings?" asks the author of the book. "Well, of course, we're not made of stone," the queen replied. But on that score, Queen Sofia advises discretion. "It's hard to ignore. It's hard to stay silent. We all have our self-esteem. But you have to swallow it: receive, greet, smile ‘How are you?' as if nothing happened. For them to ruffle you would be worse."+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++Disclaimer

No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.

The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.

For the second time, controversial writer Dan Brown's words are coming to life on the silver screen in the movie adaptation of his best-selling novel "Angels and Demons," scheduled for release in May 2009.

Like "The Da Vinci Code," which was released in 2006 to mixed reviews but undeniable global popularity, "Angels and Demons" stars Tom Hanks as Harvard religious expert Robert Langdon, and Ron Howard is directing.

Though the movie will not be released until May, a trailer can be viewed at AngelsandDemons.com a little later today.

The suspense thriller follows Langdon on a globetrotting, secret door-finding adventure during which he meets a beautiful Italian scientist who joins in a hunt for truth. At the center of the action is a mysterious, ancient group called the Illuminati and its most-despised enemy: the Catholic Church.

The Catholic Church has been a recurring element in Brown's work and the source of much offscreen controversy.

There was angry reaction yesterday to comparisons made by the leader of the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland between the Government's Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill, and medical experiements carried out by the Nazis during the Second World War.

Cardinal Keith O'Brien described the implications of the legislation as “grotesque” and akin to “behaviour last seen under the Nazis”. In an open letter, he said he was appalled that Gordon Brown was promoting the Bill.

Lord Winston, the medical academic, said yesterday that the Cardinal's comments were unacceptable. He added that extreme remarks polarised opinion and did not do the Catholic Church justice.

The Labour peer told BBC Scotland: “It might be worth reminding the Cardinal that, actually, the Catholic Church knew about the Nazi experimentation, even before the war, not just after it, and did very little to prevent it from happening.”

He added: “Christian people might be offended as well, because of the suffering of some Christian people as well as the terrible suffering by the Jewish people.”

Dr Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, during a debate at Glasgow University last night, said: “I have two things to say. One is that comparisons with Nazi Germany are always a tempting conversation stopper and must be used sparingly.

“I am concerned by that aspect of genetics which encourages us to think of human tissue or organs in a more functional way. It's a nebulous thing but there is a dangerous drift of thinking not about what we are as humans but what use we are. That is not to knock down stem cell research, but if I have a moral worry that would be it,” he added.

The Bill, which was debated last night in the House of Lords, would allow cells to be taken from incapacitated adults and children on the basis of presumed consent to be used for embryo research.

In his letter Cardinal O'Brien wrote: “The grotesque implications of these procedures are utterly horrifying and fly in the face of all medical guidance on consent to research.”

The Cardinal added that such behaviour was last seen under the Nazis, and urged Mr Brown to urgently amend the legislation. Admitting that he had made the remarks to gain publicity, he said that he did not see why people were offended.

The Cardinal told BBC Scotland that he wanted people to pay attention to the issue, adding: “Yes, I want publicity and I use strong language so that I'll get publicity.” He said that he had not intended to cause offence by invoking the Nazis, adding: “I don't see why anybody should be offended by the language I use.”

Labour MP Jim Sheridan, who is a Catholic, accused the Church of “scaremongering”, and said that a more measured approach was needed. The MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire North said that Cardinal O'Brien's remarks were very far from reality, adding: “Winding people up is not consistent with the teachings of the Catholic Church.”

Meanwhile, the Government last night defeated a move in the Lords to place further restrictions on the use of human-animal embryos.

The attempt by the crossbencher Lord Alton of Liverpool to restrict research on admixed embryos to cases where it could not be carried out by any other method was rejected by the House of Lords by 202 votes to 39, a majority of 163.

Lord Alton described his amendment as a “modest provision that prohibits nothing but insists, with the full force of law, that a case must be made that no alternatives are available before permitting the creation and destruction of the human-admixed embryos.”+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++Disclaimer

No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.

The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.

The Vatican issued new psychological screening guidelines for seminarians Thursday - the latest effort by the Roman Catholic Church to be more selective about its priesthood candidates following a series of pedophile scandals.

The church said it issued the new guidelines to help church leaders weed out candidates with "psychopathic disturbances."

Sex abuse scandals by pedophile priests have rocked the church in recent years, triggering lawsuits that have cost hundreds of millions of dollars in settlements.

"(The guidelines) became ever more urgent because of the sexual scandals," Monsignor Jean-Louis Brugues told reporters.

He stressed, however, that psychological testing was used in some seminaries as far back as the 1960s - or at least a decade before the pedophile scandals exploded in public.

"In all too many cases, psychological defects, sometimes of a pathological kind, reveal themselves only after ordination to the priesthood," the guidelines said.

"Detecting defects earlier would help avoid many tragic experiences."

The guidelines said problems like "confused or not yet well-defined" sexual identities need to be addressed.

A 2005 Vatican document said men with "deep-seated" homosexual tendencies shouldn't be ordained, but that those with a "transitory problem" could become priests if they had overcome them for three years.

The Vatican considers homosexual activity sinful.

The new guidelines reflect the earlier teaching, stressing that if a future priest shows "deep-seated homosexual tendencies," his seminary training "would have to be interrupted."

The guideline say priests must have a "positive and stable sense of one's masculine identity" and the capacity to "integrate his sexuality in accordance" with the obligation of celibacy.

The church is struggling to provide enough priests for parishes in many parts of the West because of waning vocations.

But Pope Benedict XVI has said it is more important to have good priests than a greater number of priests.+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++Disclaimer

No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.

The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.